Passage up ages, conjecture that the trident itsëlf in thé :han®nf
t l® Pei-ho. « T - l . -■ ■ = Neptune is; less'a magie wand, than’an emblem of that
unerring guidance which the magnet'is capable of%up-
p l y d f r g ^ -
• Not far from the Hai-chin-miao,- or temple of the 'isé'a
gody was thé hall of audience- of Ta-êob. It was situated
in fe^midst'br a spacious: cola-re. A broad flight
of steps led fd'a buildingj’bpfeh^hbxagori form, with' a
roof supported by pilariff the -diameter* 'o-^'vrhi'ch bore
a greater proportion‘té the^4éhgt& of; the shafts, than
in any order of Grecian -archifeC^é?' These pillars
were »of varnished wood, which material might require
more thickness than those of stoiteff ‘asj pillars of iron,
no doubt, would less than either. F&r the jnaturaf rules
and proportions in this s cignce,Tnust^ht&tssaiily de-v
pend on the. substanég^tMbe employed, ^ ^w e ll as oil
the effect th e y 'arë- meanS-ato produce upon the e^e‘. ’
The hexagon was open on all aideS-:- a^ircumstance’
which indicated, the mildness of the climate, and was
not ill calculated to impress the mind with the pleasing,
tho perhaps erroneous idea, that justice thqrd was free"
and accessible to all. On bèhcnes covered-with red
cotton cloth and satin cushions, sat six magistrates, five,
probably, as assessors to the'chief, and wïiö might gerve
the purpose of a check on the caprice or passions of a
single judge. The attendants and spectators were very
numerous.
©Rafter the Emjja§s.adoj> returned to his;yaeht, the
Vi^l^eufcthcliie^sumptuohs. repast for- him, and three
diN.ne»FS.?iea:ch ^consisting of^venty-four dishes, to
the tby<e;ghntlemen whd hadfa^cdmpaniedhis Excellency
mi•tka^sitt.Ns.WhyMpgiVieerowpreferred this method of
shnwiog'kayiliAg^to. his y S|tto,thatipJ|retaining them
tq^paTtake o f a-banquet ffith him thafeday, or of inviting
the,m.|fon thqn&xteltcouldh^exp]^:ined fy. nothing,known
in. Chi^M.mainffie-'rS tor^opinipfas. ex^ept&what might re-.
kfjtA tofehp.rank .of thejgentlemen accompanying the Em-
b^sadqr. It,did nofep^opeed might in India, from
saja gyfMip»scimplel,, aga^st«@atang<«with profane' foreig
ners . jVfere. hadefedvltham fqMjipeisons, seldom sit at
th&isajnet|abkejin,vGhir|| A but a, ^banquet is frequently
serYedft ujfont sey ey^lltaJ^esJlp: ,&h^ai®E|lapartment. I t is
.p ^M % ^ jp t3|Qme ej^oumstance ofi^d«di]ciacy;tdwards the
E mba^^dcml^hichiwgsj,not? doubt con-
^gini^^Englishicu^oms,, 4might h ^ ^ |in d u q e ^ th e 0Vice-
roy'jto adopt this pa,ftiel}lar mode’ o f hospitality, which,
i n d ^edy^ & t ablesys.upplied4at Ag^Empe^or’s, charge had
repdered|aj.|qtelh% superfluous^..*
During. the »Enrbaks^do'r’s ' stay»before TaKcoo.he was
visited*\by ’fehe: principal - mandatinpsiof -. the neighbouj-
gja&ad, in wHamsfas in othe^Ehinese , of .rank', <£ev^ef ,national
peculiaritiesyon partialttigssw.er^kpparent, than in
tbehfwef classdjj|tf life.* Theexercised mind Isi, certainly,
less the,child oft example,or-the'creafua^of climate* and